Crush
by thatfreakbellaR
Summary: Spencer has a crush on her friend Toby. Will they be able to get together, or will Alison ruin everything first? AU
1. Chapter 1

"Hey Toby! What's up?" Spencer asked her good friend.  
"Oh, sup Spence. I was gonna go get a coffee. You busy?" Toby asks.  
"I can't. Ali and I are hanging out today." Spencer tells him.  
"Aw man, that sucks. I wanted to hang with you." Toby sighs.  
"I wanna hang with you too, but I promised Ali! Sorry Tobes." Spencer pats his shoulder.  
"Nah, it's cool. Can we hang tomorrow maybe?" Toby asks.  
"Sure, just call me or something." Spencer says.  
"Cool. I will. Have fun with Ali. I'll talk to you later." Toby says as he leaves.  
Ali walks up to Spencer once Toby leaves.  
"Spencer, were you just talking to Toby Cavanaugh?" Ali asks.  
"Yeah, he's a friend of mine." Spencer says. "Why?"  
"He's a loser!" Ali yells. "Stay away from that freak, Spence."  
"No way! He's my friend. What did he ever do to you?" Spencer asks.  
"Lots of stuff. He's a total weirdo." Ali says.  
"Name one weird thing he's done." Spencer demands.  
"Fine. I heard he's a Peeping Tom." Ali tells her, crossing her arms.  
"Is that a rumor? I'm not going to believe a rumor!" Spencer yells.  
"But Spence... You can't be friends with a guy like him." Ali says.  
"Ali, I'm sorry, but I'm going to pick my own friends." Spencer snaps.  
"Fine, be that way. Don't say I didn't warn you about guys like him later on." Ali says, smirking.  
What did Ali mean? Was Toby bad or something?  
"Sure, whatever. Let's just go hang out now." Spencer says.  
"Wait! One more thing." Ali pleads.  
"Fine. Tell me what you want." Spencer says.  
"Are you going out with him?" Ali asks.  
"What!? No! We're just friends," Spencer denies.  
"Good. I wouldn't want you getting _that_ close to a creep like him." Ali tells her.  
"Wait, even if we were dating, what would be the big deal?" Spencer asks.  
"I told you, he's a creep. I can't afford to have my BFF associating that closely with him." Ali says.  
Ali adds, "Now come on, let's go watch the Notebook or something."  
"Alright, alright." Spencer sighs.  
Ali and Spencer hung out for a little while, but then Ali went to hang out with her older friends.  
So Spencer went over to Emily's house. Aria, Emily, Hanna, and her were having a sleepover without Ali.  
"Hey guys, I'm here." Spencer announces as she walks in.  
"Oh, hey Spence!" Aria exclaims.  
"Hi. I need to talk to you guys about something." Spencer says as she sits on Emily's bed.  
"Sure, tell us anything. We're here for you no matter what." Aria says, smiling.  
"Good. It's nothing big. I just wanted to know why Ali is so annoyed that I'm friends with Toby Cavanaugh." Spencer says.  
"I'm friends with him too! He's a nice guy!" Emily exclaims.  
"I know, and that's why I'm confused. She keeps saying all these mean things about him." Spencer tells them.  
"Maybe he's her ex-boyfriend or something." Hanna suggests.  
"You think Ali would keep one of her boyfriends away from us?" Emily asks.  
"Possibly. She's kind of mysterious sometimes." Hanna says. "Don't tell her I said that!"  
"Don't worry, we won't." Aria says.  
"Well, we don't know for sure, Spence." Emily says.  
"Hey, are you really good friends with him?" Aria asks.  
"I guess we're pretty close." Spencer responds.  
"Great! Maybe you could ask _him_ what happened between him and Ali!" Aria happily suggests.  
"That's a great idea! I'll ask him tomorrow at school." Spencer says, smiling.  
"How could Ali hate him? He's so sweet!" Emily exclaims.  
"He is pretty sweet. He helped me with my science homework." Hanna says.  
"Well, I don't really know him. I've seen him around, but I don't really know him." Aria says.  
"Why do you care so much about Toby, anyways?" Hanna asks.  
"Ooh, Spence, do you _like like _him!?" Aria demands to know.  
"No, of course not!" Spencer rejects. "We're just really good friends."  
"That's what they all say..." Hanna teases.  
"Yup, and then those people who say that start dating!" Emily exclaims, chuckling.  
Spencer was blushing like crazy now.  
"I do not like him like that!" she rejects.  
"Ok, ok, guys. We've had fun teasing our little friend here. Let's give her a break." Aria chuckles.  
"Aria, you're the little one. You're like 5'2!" Hanna jokes.  
"Well! I like being short very much." Aria laughs.  
"Hanna, do you like anybody right now?" Emily asks.  
"Yeah, I like a lot of people. I like you, Aria, Ali, Sp-" Hanna began.  
Emily cut her off, "You know what I mean! _Romantically_."  
"Well... there is this one super cute and nice guy in my chem class." Hanna says, licking her lips.  
"Ooh! What's his name?" Aria asks.  
"Caleb Rivers. He's hot, and we talk a lot. He's pretty sweet." Hanna boasts happily.  
"So, are you going to make a move on him?" Emily asks.  
"Emily, I know you're into girls and all, but we always wait for the guy to make the first move." Hanna laughs.  
"You should just go for it and ask this Caleb guy to hang out." Spencer says.  
"No way! I'm too scared. I really hope Caleb just asks me to hang out instead." Hanna says.  
"So Emily, have you seen any cute girls you're interested in lately?" Aria asks.  
"I don't know if I'm ready to start dating again. Maya and I just broke up..." Emily sighs.  
"So _nobody's_ caught your eye?" Aria asks.  
"I'm sure there's some girl out there you're interested in! Anyone?" Hanna asks.  
"There's this girl on my swim team named Paige... I don't know if I like her, though. She's nice." Emily says, smiling.  
"Is she even gay?" Spencer asks.  
"Of course, Spence. She was telling me about how she broke up with her girlfriend Shana." Emily tells them.  
"I'd ask Aria who she's into, but we all know she has hottie Mr. Fitz!" Spencer exclaims.  
"Yup, yup. I have a crush on that hottie Ezra Fitz." Aria jokes and smiles. "Ezra and I are going great."  
"But who are you going to take to the winter formal?" Hanna asks.  
"Yeah, you can't take Ezra." Spencer reminds.  
"Thanks for reminding me about that suckish thing..." Aria sighs. "Well, I guess I don't need a date. I can go solo!"  
"Really? I heard that super hot guy Jake likes you!" Hanna exclaims.  
"You did? Jake's pretty hot... but I have a boyfriend. I'm with Ezra, guys. I can't have a date." Aria says, shaking her head.  
"Fine. Do you like anybody at all, Spence?" Emily asks.  
"Not at the moment." Spencer says.  
"Then who are _you_ taking to winter formal?" Hanna asks. "Maybe Andrew will ask you."  
"But I don't really want to go with Andrew..." she sighs. "Andrew's great and all, but I'm not interested in him."  
"We all know he has a crush on you. You're not going with anyone else, so just make Andrew happy!" Aria exclaims.  
"I don't really want to go with him. Plus, he hasn't even asked me." Spencer says.  
"But he will. I heard Andrew saying that he really wants to ask you." Hanna says.  
"So what are you gonna say?" Emily asks.  
"I'll just say no." Spencer says.  
"Why!? Andrew's cute, plus you don't have a date. You never know, you might end up liking him." Hanna says.  
"I like him as a friend. I just don't want to go with him." Spencer says.  
"What about Alex Santiago? I heard he wants to ask you, too." Aria says.  
"Alex? Well, Alex is cute, but I don't really know him. I even know Andrew better." Spencer frowns.  
"Wait, you're turning down sweet Andrew and hot Alex...?" Hanna asks. "You don't want to go with them because you want to go with Toby!"  
"That makes sense!" Emily exclaims. "You really do seem like you like him."  
"Hanna, I told you I don't!" Spencer rejects. "Toby and I are just friends. I'm just not interested in Andrew or Alex like that, ok?"  
"Why not? They're both cute." Aria says.  
"Aria... I'm not going with them. I'm going alone." Spencer says.  
"You just want Toby to take you!" Hanna teases again.  
"Shut up, Hanna." Spencer groans.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

He puts both his hands on her shoulders from behind her and shouts, "Boo!"  
"Toby!" Spencer nearly has a heart attack. "You douche."  
"You know you love me," Toby says, smiling. "So, what's up, Hastings?"  
"Nothing much. Wanna walk to class with me?" Toby asks.  
"Sure." He says.

They start walking to class together.  
"So... are you taking anyone to winter formal?" Spencer asks.  
"Nah. School dances aren't really my thing." Toby shakes his head.  
"Really?" She frowns. "Come on, they can be fun!"  
"Maybe for you. Spencie, I love you, but dances are lame." Toby laughs it off.  
"I happen to like them very much!" Spencer says, crossing her arms.  
"I may not like dances, but we can do other stuff together. Still wanna hang out today?" Toby asks.  
"Of course, Tobes." Spencer responds.  
"So I'll see _you_ after school, Spencie." Toby says.  
"Stop calling me that!" Spencer frowns.  
"Oh come on, you know you like it. See you then, Spencie." Toby winks as he leaves.

Truth be told, she _did_ like it when he called her Spencie.  
It was so cute and sweet, and she loved it.  
She decided she'd ask him about Ali today.  
He'd never mentioned his past with her before.

After school, Spencer went to his locker.  
"Oh hey Spencie! You remembered." Toby smiles. "One second, and then we can go."  
"So where are we going?" Spencer asks.  
"Your favorite thing... to get caffeine and have a quiz-off," Toby jokingly says.  
Spencer's face brightens up.  
"Really!? Tobes, that's awesome!" Spencer exclaims.  
"Maybe for you, but I was kidding." Toby laughs. "Do you really want to have a quiz-off?"  
"Yes. You're a serious douche now," Spencer glares at him. "You got my hopes up."  
"Fine, we can get some coffee, but we're not having a quiz off." He chuckles.  
"Deal. So are we only getting coffee?" Spencer asks.  
"Well, the Rosewood Carnival starts at four thirty, so we can grab some coffee and then head there." Toby suggests.  
"Carnival? Sounds lame, but I'm in." Spencer says.  
"Hey, carnivals are not lame! They're awesome." Toby says.  
"So are school dances..." Spencer tells him.  
"Damn you," Toby laughs. "I'll make you have fun at the carnival."  
"I doubt it." Spencer laughs back.

"Hey Emily, hey Aria! Where's Hanna?" Spencer asks as she walks down the hall with Toby.  
"Oh, hey Spence. Hanna's in detention." Emily laughs.  
"Really? What'd she do?" Spencer asks.  
"She called Mr. Rolf a baldie!" Aria bursts out laughing. Emily laughs too.  
"A baldie, seriously?" Toby starts laughing along with Spencer.  
"Oh Hanna," Spencer smiles.  
"So where are you two going?" Aria asks.  
"Coffee and the Rosewood Carnival. You guys should come, too." Toby says, smiling.  
"Carnival? I didn't know they were having one." Aria says.  
"I heard about it from Paige." Emily says, biting her lip.  
"Ooh!" Aria exclaims, winking.  
"Can you let Hanna know to come to the carnival, too?" Spencer asks.  
"Sure, I'll tell Hanna." Emily says.  
"I'll ask Ali. Did you not want me to bring Ali?" Aria asks.  
"Ali? Why her!?" Toby grits his teeth.  
"Whoa Toby, do you not like Ali or something?" Emily asks suspiciously.  
"Ali and I have never gotten along." Toby sighs. "She hates my sister Jenna."  
"So, we'll meet you guys at the carnival," Spencer says.  
"Wait, you and Toby are going together?" Aria asks, raising her eyebrows with a smile.  
Spencer blushes at this. Luckily, Toby answers for her, not knowing why Aria's doing that.  
"Yeah, we are. We're going for coffee. Later guys." Toby says waving.

Toby and Spencer walk outside of Rosewood High, where his motorcycle was parked.  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. We're riding _that_ to the Brew?" Spencer asks, shocked.  
"C'mon, you'll love a good motorcycle ride!" Toby exclaims. "We're taking it to the carnival, too."  
"Well maybe I'm scared of motorcycles!" Spencer says, crossing her arms.  
"So the fearless Spencer Hastings is finally afraid of something?" Toby teases.  
Spencer playfully punches him in the arm.  
"I'll walk and meet you there instead," Spencer tells him.  
"No way, Hastings! All aboard the Cavanaugh Express," Toby grins.  
"There's no way you're getting me on that monster!" Spencer refuses.  
"I can pick you up and put you on it. Wanna do it the hard way instead?" Toby asks.  
"Fine, I'll get on myself." Spencer groans.  
"That's what I thought." he proudly says. "You'll love this."  
"You better be right," she says.  
"I am!" He exclaims. "You just wait, Hastings."

Meanwhile, Ali, Aria, and Emily are hanging out.  
"Poor Hanna. She's stuck in detention. Mr. Rolf will never forgive her for that I bet." Aria sighs.  
"Well the comment was pretty rude. He's probably already upset about being bald, he doesn't need Hanna making him feel worse." Emily says.  
"Lighten up, you guys!" Ali exclaims. "I'm proud of Hanna for finally being a bad ass. Kudos to her!"  
"Don't you feel bad for poor Mr. Rolf?" Aria asks.  
"Hell no. Hanna was just stating the truth, Aria. He _is_ bald," Ali points out.  
"True," Aria says, shrugging.  
"Aria, what time is it?" Emily asks.  
"It's four twenty." Aria tells her.  
"Shoot! We're supposed to meet Spencer and Toby at the Rosewood Carnival in 10 minutes!" Emily reminds.  
"Wait, Spencer and Toby are going to the Rosewood Carnival... as a date?" Ali asks nervously.  
"Nah, they're just friends," Emily says.  
"Yeah, but they'll probably end up dating..." Aria mumbles.  
"Aria!" Emily scolds.  
"Wait, are you serious?" Ali asks. "Are they into each other?"  
"I don't know. Maybe," Aria responds.  
"Why do you care so much?" Emily asks.  
"It's nothing big, Emily! I just want to make sure Spence doesn't choose the wrong guy like him." Ali responds.  
"Why don't you like him?" Emily asks. "He's really sweet and nice."  
"It's all an act. He's a total jerk!" Ali grits her teeth. "We clearly never got along."  
"Let's just go to the carnival, Ali." Aria urges.  
"Yeah, they're probably already there by now." Emily says.  
"Fine." Ali sighs.

"Aria, Emily! Hey," Toby greets with a smile. "_Ali_?"  
"Hi... Toby," Ali tries to seem nice.  
"Ali wanted to come along, too. So we brought her." Aria says innocently.  
"Aria, can I have a word with you for a second?" Toby asks.  
Toby and Aria never really talked much, so this was a new thing for them.  
He felt comfortable with her because she's Spencer's friend.  
Aria and him go off somewhere else while the others chat a little.  
"Aria! I told you that I don't get along with her." Toby groans.  
"Come on, she's like one of our best friends, Toby! Just play nice, please?" Aria pleads.  
She decides to test if Spencer is his weakness.  
"Do it for Spencer!" Aria adds. "She'll want you to. She's best friends with Ali, too."  
"Fine," Toby gives in. "I'll do it for her."  
"Thank you!" Aria exclaims. "You're the best."

They walk back to the group.  
Hanna sees them and joins them, with Caleb by her side.  
"Hey!" Hanna exclaims. "I got out of detention, so Caleb and I wanted to come to the carnival."  
"Hanna, I'm so glad you're here," Emily smiles. "So, you're Caleb?"  
"Yeah. I think I've seen you on the swim team. Emily, is it?" Caleb asks for confirmation.  
"Mhmm. I'm Emily," Emily says. "You seem like a good guy. You better be nice to Hanna."  
"Shut up, Emily!" Hanna scolds, biting her lip.  
She doesn't want Caleb to know that she likes him.  
"Sorry," Emily giggles.  
"Wanna go on the Ferris Wheel?" Aria asks, grinning.  
"Hell yeah!" Hanna exclaims. "Caleb, wanna sit with me on the ride?"  
"Yeah, of course," Caleb grins. "I'd love to, Hanna."  
"Emily, ride with me!" Aria exclaims.  
Emily nods to this and leans on Aria's shoulder.  
"Spencer... will you sit with me?" Toby asks.  
"S-sure," Spencer happily but nervously agrees.  
"Awesome!" Toby exclaims.  
"Wait, who am _I _gonna sit with?" Ali asks, frowning in annoyance.  
"Oh... Uh Spence, you can ride with Ali. I'll go alone." Toby announces.  
"Save it, Cavanaugh. I don't need you sacrificing anything to play hero here. I'm fine alone." Ali grits her teeth.  
"I wasn't trying to play hero. You sure you don't want to sit with Spencer?" Toby asks.  
"Save the nice guy act. I'm fine." Ali rolls her eyes.  
"Ali, he's trying to be nice!" Spencer defends.  
"Well, I didn't ask him to." Ali spat.

After riding the Ferris Wheel, the gang went to get cotton candy when they saw Paige McCullers working the stand.  
"What is that bitch doing here?" Ali groans.  
"Hey! That's Paige. She's a nice person, Ali." Emily defends.  
"Pigskin? She's gr-oss!" Ali laughs, but no one laughs with her.  
"Pigskin... Why do you call her that?" Emily asks.  
"When she was a kid, she had this bumps on her thighs," Ali explains.  
"Look, not everyone's flawless. Leave Paige alone. I feel bad that she had to suffer a skin condition. I don't laugh!" Emily yells.  
"Em... What the hell?" Ali asks.  
"What the hell to you!? Paige is probably really happy her skin condition is gone, and you make fun of her." Emily snaps.  
"Emily, I'm going to go talk to Paige for a second." Toby says, smiling.  
"What are you going to say!?" Emily demands to know.  
"You'll see." Toby smiles.

"Toby Cavanaugh?" Paige asks, confused.  
"Yeah. Hi. You're Paige, right?" Toby asks for confirmation.  
"That's me. Can I get you some cotton candy for your girlfriend?" Paige asks.  
"My girlfriend? What?" Toby asks, eyes wide.  
"Yeah. I thought you were going out with Spencer." Paige says.  
"No... N-no. We're just really good friends." Toby shakes his head.  
"Oh. You guys looked like a couple..." Paige awkwardly says. "Well, cotton candy?"  
"Yeah, but I actually was wondering when your shift is over." Toby says.  
"What? Why?" Paige asks.  
"Emily over there wants to hang out with you, but she's too shy to talk to you, so... I'm secretly trying to help her." Toby winks.  
"Emily likes me?" Paige asks, happily.  
"That's what I think." Toby nods.  
"My shift is over in a second. Marcus, take over for me?" Paige pleads.  
"A guy walks over and sighs.  
"Fine, Paige." Marcus sighs.  
"Thank you!" Paige exclaims. "Toby, you like Spencer, don't you?"  
"Err... Maybe. What does it matter, though?" Toby asks.  
"I'm going to return the favor for you telling me about Emily. Share a cotton candy with her. Just one. Then maybe you can share a kiss or two." Paige winks.  
"I dunno... We're really good friends, and I'm sure she thinks our relationship is strictly a friendly and platonic one..." Toby sighs.  
"I've seen the way she looks at you. Go for it!" Paige exclaims.

"Hey Emily," Paige happily says. "Toby told me to come join you. Is that alright?"  
Emily gives Toby a smile as she says, "Of course! It's awesome, actually."  
"Do you want to sit next to me on the rollercoaster?" Paige asks.  
Emily nods as she walks over next to Paige.  
"Well, if you're riding with Paige, then we have an even number!" Aria exclaims. "I can sit next to Ali."  
Ali's face lights up.

"Spencer, I want to share something with you." Toby tells her, with a smile, much to Ali's dismay.  
He pulls out the cotton candy from behind his back.  
"You and I can share this cotton candy... only if you want to," he says.  
"Of course I want to!" Spencer exclaims. She gives Toby a hug. "Thanks, Tobes. I'm really craving something sweet."  
"So, rollercoaster partner. Ready to go?" Toby asks.  
"Toby... I can't go on that rollercoaster. I'm kinda scared." Spencer sighs.  
"Oh, please! You're just itching for a reason for him to say something comforting!" Ali yells.  
"Jesus, Ali. Calm down," Aria says, pulling the blonde back.  
"I'm not lying about it. When I was little, Melissa would threaten to push me off..." Spencer explains.  
"You think I'm gonna push you off?" Toby asks, chuckling slightly. "I'd never hurt you, Spence."  
"There he goes!" Ali groans.

"No... I know you won't, but I always feel like I'm going to fall." Spencer says.  
"Guys, let's start walking to the coaster." Toby says.  
He walks next to Spencer, and they have a quieter discussion.  
"I'll hold you. You'll never fall if I pull you back in." Toby smiles.  
"It's just a ride. I'll be fine," she assures herself.  
"That's right!" Toby exclaims. "Now take a bite of your cotton candy and let's do this!"

And he did as he said he would.  
On the rollercoaster, he held her the whole time.  
She didn't feel like falling. Not once!

They enjoyed the rest of the carnival together.

"Spence, you want a ride home or something?" Aria offers.  
"I think I'll go with Tobes." Spencer responds, smiling.  
"Mmm. Have fun." Aria says, winking. "I can't wait to get home and call Ezra!"  
"Aren't your parents and Mike home?" Hanna asks.  
"Nope. They're with Mike at his lacrosse tour of games." Aria explains. "That means I have a night filled with talking to my sweet Ezra."  
"Hanna, you want to come with me and chill at my place?" Caleb asks, grinning.  
"Yeah, sure!" Hanna exclaims. "You can go to the car. Let me say good night to the girls."  
"Awesome." Caleb nods, and scurries off.  
"Hanna, are you gonna lose your V-Card tonight?" Ali asks, winking.  
"Han, maybe you shouldn't go this fast with him. Caleb seems great, but..." Emily begins.  
"Why shouldn't she!?" Ali says, crossing her arms. "There's nothing wrong with sex, Emily. You're just jealous that Hanna has a new boy-toy."  
"I don't want a boy-toy. I'm not jealous! I'm saying it for her own good," Emily angrily says.  
"Don't worry, Em. I'll take it slow with Caleb. Hopefully I'll at least get a first kiss!" Hanna exclaims, smiling widely.  
"You go, Hanna! Go and get that first kiss," Paige chuckles as she joins them.  
"Thanks, Paige. Have a good night with Emily." Hanna waves as she leaves to find Caleb in the parking lot.

"Well, Paige and I are going to go swim laps at night at the pool." Emily announces. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."  
"Em- have fun with Paige tonight." Aria says, smiling.  
"Oh, we'll have fun for sure." Emily winks.  
Paige and Emily head off.  
"Ali, you need a ride?" Aria asks.  
"No. I'll walk. Good night." Ali huffs.  
"Night." Aria says as Ali leaves.  
"Well, Toby and I are heading back. Have fun with your sexy Ezra talk." Spencer says.

Aria goes home, and Spencer goes to the parking lot to find Toby.  
"You came!" Toby exclaims.  
"Why wouldn't I?" Spencer asks.  
"Well, I thought you were ditching me for your friends." Toby responds.  
"Of course not. I'd much rather hang out with you, Tobes." She says, smiling.  
"Well, I love hanging out with you, too." Toby says, smiling back. "Now hop on. We have a fun ride back."

Toby drives them to the Cavanaugh house. He stops and parks his motorcycle there.  
"Why are we here?" Spencer asks.  
"I want to walk you home instead, so I'm dropping off my motorcycle." Toby explains.  
"Oh," she says.  
But on the inside, she's crazy excited! He wants to walk her home!

"Did you have fun tonight?" He asks.  
"Definitely!" Spencer exclaims.  
"I told you that you'd have fun at the carnival." He proudly says.  
"I'll listen to you more often from now on," she chuckles. "I had fun being with you, most of all."  
"I loved being with you, too." He tells her.  
"And I'm sorry about Ali's behavior today. She said you and her never get along." Spencer tells him.  
Toby's palms start sweating.  
"W-what else did she tell you about me?" Toby asks.  
"Nothing." Spencer honestly answers. "Why are you so nervous?"  
"Oh... Uh. I'm not." Toby says.  
"You're shaking." Spencer says, rolling her eyes.

"It's nothing." He says.

"No, tell me!" Spencer demands.

"I'm just worried about what my folks will say about me being home this late." He lies.

"Oh." She says nodding in disbelief.

"We're here, Spence." He says.

She smiles and tries to forget he's lying.

"Mhmm. And thank you... for making me have such a fun night. You're amazing." She smiles again.

"I had fun, too. I'd like to take you somewhere again soon. Hanging out with you is great. Can we do this again some time?" He asks.

"I'd love to!" She exclaims.

"Awesome. I'll see you at school, Spence. Good night." He says, and gives her a friendly hug.

She hugs him back.

As she pulls back, she says, "Good night to you, too. I hope your folks don't get too mad that you're home late."

"Yeah, me too..." Toby says, biting his lip. "Don't worry about it, though. I'm sure I'll be fine. Sleep tight tonight, will you?"

"All that fun exhausted me. I think I do need some rest... Or maybe some more coffee." She jokes.

He chuckles and says, "You've already had your daily dose of caffeine, Spence. Good night."

"Night." She returns as she shuts the door.

She hates how crazy he makes her feel.

He goes home feeling guilty that he lied to her, though.

He just feels that his past with Ali will cause a rift between Spencer and Ali.

And he just doesn't like talking about that past with her that disgusts him.

But she shuts the door, smiling like a crazy lunatic.

That's because she's happy.

He makes her happy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

When he gets home, all he can think about is her.

Even Paige knew that he liked her. Was it that obvious!?

He wondered if Spencer knew that he liked her.

Maybe she did, but she chose to ignore it because she didn't like him back!

The worst thoughts were flooding his mind.

Thoughts of being rejected...

He wants to ask her to the winter formal, but he doesn't want her to say no to him.

Getting rejected would be _terrible_.

"Hey Toby, you're home. Were you out with that girl again?" Jenna asks as she walks in her brother's room.

"Spencer? Yeah. Well, I was with her and her other friends." Toby says, sighing.

Jenna sits down on his bed and asks, "Did you want to be alone with her?"

"Kinda. Well, I got to walk her home, so everything's good." Toby says smiling.

"If you like her, why don't you just ask her to the winter formal?" Jenna asks.

"Jenna, I want to... but I can't." Toby tells her.

"Why not? What's stopping you?" Jenna demands.

"It's complicated, Jenna." Toby says, looking away from his sister.

"I know why. It's that dumb Alison girl!" Jenna grits her teeth.

"She gives us all a hard time, but she's Spencer's best friend." Toby quietly says.

"Ignore Alison. She's capable of a lot, but she can't stop you from being with somebody." Jenna tells him.

"But Jenna... what if Spencer finds out about what happened?" Toby asks. "What if Alison tells her?"

"I thought you were putting that in the past." Jenna says.

"I am _trying_. But my concern is that Alison will just bring it back from the past and into the present!" Toby stressfully says.

"I don't know what to tell you. All I know is that Alison kills for fun. She loves messing with everybody." Jenna says, gritting her teeth.

"I know, sis... I know. That's what I'm trying to avoid." Toby sighs.

"Calm down and sleep well. Life will sort itself out," Jenna promises. "Maybe you should talk to Alison before asking Spencer out."

"Talk to Alison!?" Toby says like it's crazy. "No way, Jenna! It's already awkward talking to her about normal stuff. I can't talk to her about dating her friend..."

"You can't live your life being afraid of her!" Jenna tells him.

"I don't want to, but what if she does it again?" Toby asks, whimpering slightly.

"D-do you think she'd do _it_ again?" Jenna asks, worried for her brother herself.

"I don't know, but I'm just glad that everything stopped before everyone at school found out. I'm glad it stayed pretty private." Toby frowns.

"You never did anything wrong. Alison just made it seem like you did. Everything she said was just a lie," Jenna says, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"I know. I would never do that to _anyone_." Toby says.

"And I know you wouldn't. You're not like that. I know you," Jenna smiles at him.

"It feels good to hear somebody say that they know I didn't." Toby smiles back.

"I'm saying it because you didn't. Do yourself a favor and ask your special girl to the winter formal. Don't give a damn about Alison," Jenna says.

"Maybe I will." Toby chuckles.

"Good night, Toby." Jenna says.

"Good night." Toby says, sighing.

Talking with Jenna made him feel better, but it also made him think about what happened with Alison.

Alison put him through hell at one point, and he was glad that she dropped it.

He'd always been afraid of Alison ever since what she did to him.

He learned what the great Alison DiLaurentis was really capable of.

The next day at school, Spencer was at her locker with her friends.

"Spence, guess what!?" Emily excitedly looks at her friend as she runs up to the locker.

"What?" Spencer asks.

"I heard that Toby's going to ask you to the winter formal!" Emily exclaims.

Hanna and Aria look to their brunette friend with wide grins on their faces.

Spencer can't stop smiling herself. Her crush is really going to ask her!

"Wait, where did you hear this?" Aria asks. "Rumors can be deceiving."

"Well, I heard it from a good source. Paige and Jenna. I was hanging with Paige, and since Jenna's good friends with Paige, she was there, too. Jenna was talking about how Toby said he's going to ask Spencer to the winter formal!" Emily explains. "And he said it to Jenna herself!"

Spencer smiles happily, "Oh my god! I-I... I can't believe it! I hope Ali doesn't get upset."

"Don't let Ali stop you from being happy at winter formal!" Hanna exclaims.

"Yeah! Have all the fun you want," Emily says.

"I just wish I could go with Ezra... but he's a teacher, so I can't." Aria sighs.

"When is Ezra going to get that job at Hollis?" Hanna asks, groaning. "I'm sick of this forbidden love, no matter how hot it is! You two need to be together... ASAP!"

"Trust me, Han, I'm sick of it, too. I just wish Ezra and I can hold hands like how Caleb and you can. Speaking of Caleb, how's your guy?" Aria asks.

"Fantastic!" Hanna exclaims. "We _kissed_! It was an amazing kiss, too! I think Caleb might ask me to the winter formal."

"So it seems like everyone's having a good love-life," Aria smiles. "What about you, Em? Did you make a move on Paige?"

"Well, Paige and I are really hitting it off, but I don't know if she's really into me..." Emily shyly says.

"You should just ask Paige," Hanna suggests.

"Look, I really like Paige, but asking people out isn't my thing." Emily sighs.

"For all you know, Paige could be too scared to ask _you_." Aria reminds.

"Is Paige even gay?" Hanna blurts.

"Yeah, she is. She came out of the closet a little while ago. We connected through the whole closeted thing." Emily says, smiling as she thinks about Paige.

"Aww, Emily's in _love_!" Hanna teases.

"Hey, you're the one in love with Caleb, Hanna." Emily sticks her tongue out.

"For once, all of us are having a good road with love, huh?" Aria asks, smiling.

"Maybe. If Toby even asks me, that is." Spencer sighs.

"He will, don't worry!" Hanna exclaims. "Jenna's related to him! She knows that stuff."

Ali joins them in a second.

"Hey, hey. What are we talking about?" Ali asks.

"Winter formal," Aria quickly says.

"Do you have a date, Ali?" Hanna asks.

"Not yet. I'll just ask Noel Kahn later, maybe. Noel's a pretty good catch." Ali grins.

"Do you _actually_ like somebody? Like, not just for their looks..." Emily bites her lip.

"Not at the moment. But Noel's a hottie, so why not?" Ali smiles.

The first bell rang.

"We should get to class." Aria says.

After the last class of the day ended, Toby ran over to Spencer's locker.

"Hey Spencie," Toby says, grinning.

"H-hey Tobes," Spencer nervously says.

Would he ask her? She was so scared!

"D-do you wanna grab a coffee with me or something?" Toby asks.

"Sure. You know I love coffee," she agrees, smiling.

She was _really_ hoping he'd ask her.

Maybe Emily heard Jenna and Paige wrong! Maybe Jenna and Paige just heard a rumor or something...

As they walk to the Brew, Spencer decided to bring the topic of winter formal up, just to see if she can encourage him.

"So, have you changed your mind about winter formal?" Spencer asks nervously.

"Yeah!" Toby exclaims. "I think I actually do want to go."

Spencer smiles happily. Maybe Emily really heard Jenna and Paige right.

"Oh, really?" Spencer happily says. "Are you taking a date?"

"I don't know..." Toby mumbles. "Maybe. I have my eye on somebody, but I don't know if she'll say yes."

"You should go for it!" Spencer exclaims. "Take a chance... you know. Maybe the girl really _really_ likes you back."

"Maybe." Toby sighs. "I don't know when I'll ask. But hopefully soon."

They sit down at the table and order their coffee.

The waitress makes their coffee and brings it to the table, and they chat as they drink it.

"Well, winter formal is coming up soon. So you should ask soon, too..." Spencer says, biting her lip.

"I think I will." Toby grins.

"Great! So when are you going to ask her?" Spencer asks.

"Actually, I don't think I will. I don't think I really like her. My friends were just pressuring me to ask her, anyways. I think my sister Jenna might have overheard." Toby frowns.

And now she feels like total shit. WHAT?

She knew he didn't really like her.

"Well that's too bad..." Spencer mutters.

"There's this much better girl, though. I think I'll ask_ her_. I _really _like this other girl." Toby happily says.

Great. There's a girl that's much better than her to Toby now, and she gets to watch them dance the night away during winter formal now.

"I'll pay," Toby says at the waitress comes by.

He leaves the money and walks her home like usual, and they part ways.

**TEXT FROM ARIA MONTGOMERY AT 4:01 PM**

**Did he ask you!? I heard from Emily that you're going for coffee with him!**

The first text comes as she closes the door and parts ways with Toby.

**TEXT FROM EMILY FIELDS AT 4:02 PM**

**I saw you guys at the Brew! Did he ask you?**

Wonderful. Another text. She wishes she could say yes, but he didn't ask her.

He was going to ask a girl that he thought was 'much better'.

**TEXT FROM HANNA MARIN AT 4:03 PM**

**Did Hottie Cavanaugh ask you or what!? Caleb asked me btw! :):)**

Guess Aria was wrong when she said their love lives were perfect.

Hanna got Caleb, Aria got Ezra, and Emily would probably get Paige.

Spencer _didn't _get Toby.

She responds to Aria first.

**REPLY TO ARIA MONTGOMERY:**

**No.**

**REPLY TO EMILY FIELDS:**

**No.**

**REPLY TO HANNA MARIN:**

**No.**

She was too upset to type anything else.

If he had asked her, and she was happy, she would have been typing away on her iPhone!

But he didn't.

And he wasn't going to.

She takes a hot shower so she can just wash away her pain, but it doesn't work.

All she can think about is how Toby didn't ask her.

She knew she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up.

What Emily heard was just a stupid thing that Jenna overheard.

His friends _pressured _him to ask her out?

She was so upset. She wished she was that better girl that he apparently really liked.

It's 6 PM, and she's sitting on her couch and just watching dumb romance movies about happy girls getting amazing boyfriends.

Toby was one of those guys that _was_ an amazing movie-like guy.

He had this one girlfriend named Samara. He went all-out and prepared this amazingly romantic dinner for Samara, but Samara broke up with him right before.

He was heartbroken that Samara dumped him, but Spencer comforted him. They ate junk food together and watched romantic comedies together all night long.

**TEXT FROM TOBES CAVANAUGH AT 6:07 PM**

**Look outside.**

She sighs when she sees _him _texting her. But she decides that he's still one of her best friends, so she looks through her door.

She sees a card on the floor with a rose attached.

_This will make more sense in a second, I promise._

_XOXO, Tobes_

She began reading the card.

As she read it, he quickly swooped in.

He'd been hiding in the bushes before. He wanted to surprise her.

"Will you go to winter formal with me?" He asks, smiling. "You know that better girl I was talking about at the Brew? It was you. All my friends were pressuring me to ask Samara back out again, but I didn't want to. I wanted to go with you because I like you a lot. So what do you say... Will you go with me?"

Her heart nearly stops.

She wasn't expecting this.

_At all_.


	4. Chapter 4

**Guys I was like crying in 4x08 *SPOILER*... when Mona took the blame for Hanna. IT WAS SO SAD AND I LOVE MONA SO MUCH!**

**Chapter 4**

"I'd love to!" she suddenly exclaims, after taking a moment to breathe.

They're going out. She can't believe it. He's going to be her _date_ to winter formal!

Meanwhile, he's happy he listened to Jenna and asked her to the formal, and he was _beyond _glad that she accepted.

"Great!" he smiles. "I'll see you at school, Spence. And for the formal, I'll pick you up at seven?"

"Sounds amazing," she gushes as she leans backwards.

"Do you want me to match my tux to your dress or...?" Toby jokes as he smiles at her.

"Very funny. Wear whatever tux you want," she playfully rolls her eyes.

"Awesome. I'm so glad you said yes. I was so damn nervous," Toby nervously chuckles.

He couldn't believe that his best friend was now his date, and possibly his _girlfriend_.

'Spencer Hastings could be _my_ girlfriend,' he thought, grinning.

"What are you thinking about?" she asks.

"How excited I am for formal!" he quickly says, not wanting to tell her that he was thinking about her being his girlfriend.

They hug.

It's not just the usual friendly hug they give after he casually walks her home. It's different this time.

He's hugging her as her _date,_ and as her potential boyfriend. It's not a friendly hug anymore.

It's _romantic_.

Their arms linger. They want to just keep hugging.

"Well, I should get home," he finally says. "Jenna is cooking some 'special' dinner tonight, so I have to be home."

"Oh, go ahead!" Spencer happily says, unable to stop smiling. "Bye-e."

He wants to kiss her, but he's too scared. So, he just smiles and walks out the door.

She shuts it and begins texting her friends about how happy she is.

**TEXT FROM ARIA MONTGOMERY AT 6:33 PM**

**OMG! He ASKED you?! Details, please!**

**TEXT FROM HANNA MARIN AT 6:35 PM**

**Sorry my mom was giving me some annoying lecture... NO WAYYYY. I knew he would!**

**TEXT FROM EMILY FIELDS AT 6:36 PM**

**I knew he was! I'm so happy for u!**

Meanwhile, he's smiling his ass off while entering his home again.

Something's cooking. Literally. Jenna's cooking dinner for the family.

"Jenna, I'm home," he announces. He walks into the kitchen and stands next to her, still smiling. "Mmm, what are you making? Smells good."

"Steak. Your favorite, hmm?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"It is," he grins. "You're the best. Thank you."

" It's just steak, so no big deal. Are you in a strangely good mood or what?" Jenna asks, smirking.

"I _am_ in a good mood," he responds. "An incredibly great mood, actually..."

"Care to tell me _why_?" Jenna asks, rolling her eyes as she continues cooking the steak.

"I listened to you. I asked Spencer to the winter formal, and she said yes!" he exclaims.

"Congratulations, Toby!" Jenna smiles at him. "I _knew _telling her would be great. Does Alison know?"

He immediately frowms.

"No, not yet," he sighs. "Way to kill the mood, Jenna. I was happy for a second."

"Everything will be alright." Jenna says.

"No! What if she's telling Alison right now?" Toby asks, sighing.

"You can't _hide _your relationship from Alison, if that's what you're thinking," Jenna says, rolling her eyes. "Not only will it piss Spencer off that you want to date her secretly, but you also can't date her secretly. The winter formal is a pretty public event! I'm sure Alison's going to be there."

"I know," Toby groans. "I guess I'm just scared that she'll tell Alison too soon."

"We can't let Alison own you, Toby," Jenna says. "Forget her. Sit down, steak will be ready soon."

"Are mom and dad coming?" he asks.

"No... Mom and dad decided to go out for a fancy dinner instead of eating mine," Jenna says, annoyed. "So it's just you and me tonight."

"Well, more steak for us!" he exclaims. "Do you need any help?"

"No, I've got it." Jenna responds.

"Awesome. I'll be at the table, Jen." he says and runs off.

The next day at school, Hanna, Aria, and Emily are hording Spencer with questions.

"He finally asked you!" Hanna exclaims. "That's so awesome. Caleb asked me last night, too."

"No way!" Aria grins. "This is awesome. You both have dates now, and I'm sure Emily will have one soon, too."

"Paige?" Emily bites her lip. "I don't know if she'll ask me."

"Hey, don't be negative! Spencer got her guy, so I'm sure you'll get your girl," Aria assures her. "Any news from Paige, anyways?"

"Not yet," Emily sighs.

"Well, don't be upset. At least you have a chance of going with Paige. It's still impossible to go with Ezra. You know why," Aria sighs.

"That's your punishment for dating our incredibly hot English teacher," Hanna grins.

"Is it just me, or has Ali been MIA for a while?" Emily asks.

"No, she's right there, talking to Noel." Aria responds.

"You mean _hitting _on him?" Hanna scoffs.

"Yeah, probably. She said she wants to ask Noel," Emily reminds them.

"That sucks. Mona and I are pretty close again. Mona said _she _likes Noel. And from the looks of it, Noel likes Mona back," Hanna informs them.

"So Ali probably doesn't have a chance with Noel now?" Spencer asks.

"I doubt it. Mona and Noel are pretty close. Plus, I always thought Noel thought of Ali as just a friend," Hanna says.

"What happened to Ali being every guy's _dream_ girl?" Spencer teases that idea.

"Guess it died down," Aria says.

"Maybe people got sick of it," Emily adds.

"Hey, Emily! Hanna, Spencer, Aria... What's up?" Paige asks, joining them.

"Paige!" Emily gladly acknowledges her crush. "Nothing much. You?"

"A little something is up. So, can I steal you for a second, Em?" Paige asks.

"Sure." Emily responds. "You guys don't mind if I head off with Paige for a second, do you?"

The other girls shake their heads.

"Steal as many seconds as you want with her, Paige," Hanna says, winking.

Emily rolls her eyes as she follows Paige to some unknown location.

"You think Paige is gonna ask her to the winter formal?" Aria asks.

"That's what it looks like," Spencer says.

"Look, there's Caleb and Toby!" Hanna exclaims. "Isn't it cool how our dates are like best friends?"

"I guess," Spencer shrugs. "Maybe if everything works out with them, we could double date or something."

"You guys make me so sad," Aria pouts. "If Ezra gets that job in Hollis, we could triple date or something!"

"Maybe even quadruple date if Emily and Paige work out," Hanna adds.

Toby comes behind Spencer and wraps his arms around her waist.

"Hey there, winter formal date." He grins. "How are you?"

Spencer blushes and says, "I-I'm good. You?"

"Great. Wanna walk to class with me?" he asks.

"Sure. Han, Ar... I'm gonna go with Tobes," she says.

"Have fun," Hanna giggles. "Caleb, you better walk my pretty ass to class."

"Hey, that rhymes!" Caleb grins. "And sure, Hanna. You're the boss."

Caleb chuckles and starts walking Hanna to class.

They leave Aria behind. So Aria opens up her locker and starts grabbing her books.

Ali walks up to her.

"Did Spencer and Toby just leave together?" Ali asks.

"Hey Ali. And yeah," Aria responds. "It's so cute! They're kind of almost dating."

"What do you mean?" Ali asks, worried and shocked.

"Well, Toby's her date to the winter formal," Aria responds.

"_What_!?" Ali blurts, shocked. "When did this happen?"

"Last night," Aria says. "What's the big deal? I think they're a cute couple. Did you have any luck with Noel?"

"No..." Ali sighs. "He told me he's going with that bitch Mona Vanderwaal!"

"Hey, Mona's a friend of Hanna's! Be a little nicer," Aria says. She furrows her eyebrows and asks, "What's with the attitude, Ali? Is something wrong?"

"Of course not. Everything's fine," Ali crosses her arms.

"Listen, I want to get to class a little early so I can have some alone-time with Ezra." Aria tells her.

Ali smiles and says, "Have fun with your Ezra-Hottie."

"Thanks. Ezra and I really need to catch up," Aria says smiling as she walks away.

Once she leaves, Ali sighs and sits against the locker in distress.

She can't believe that Spencer and Toby are together. This wasn't supposed to happen!

At lunch, the girls are all sitting together. Even Ali.

"Paige asked me to the winter formal!" Emily announces.

"Congratulations!" Aria grins at her. "Is somebody happy or what?"

"Oh my god. _So_ happy," Emily gushes. "I didn't think Paige would ever ask."

Ali rolls her eyes, "Noel isn't my type, anyways. But I just can't believe he's into that loser Mona."

Hanna groans, "When are you going to stop bashing out on Mona? She's actually really nice, you know."

Ali scoffs, "Yeah right. Just by looking at her, I can tell she's a loser."

"She's _not_," Hanna argues. "Leave her alone, Ali. You're just jealous that Noel's into her and not you."

Ali gives Hanna her signature glare.

"Well, at least I wasn't hefty. I never shoved more pies than the number of humans in the world down my throat in one day." Ali says, glaring.

Hanna goes silent and stares at the floor.

"Ali!" Aria scolds. "You know that's wrong. Stop it."

Hanna used to be Hefty Hanna until she went on an extreme diet. It was still a sensitive topic to her, though.

"Sorry," Ali sighs. "So _Spencer_. Are you going with anyone?"

"Yeah," Spencer says, smiling. "Toby asked me last night, and I said yes. So, we're going together."

"Spence, we need to talk after school." Ali says.

"Uh, alright?" Spencer says, kind of confused. "Why can't we just talk now?"

"Because I said after school!" Ali yells.

"Calm down," Spencer rolls her eyes. "Fine, fine. After school it is."

"Thank you," Ali says, staring at the ground. "Actually. Never mind."

"What?" Spencer asks.

"I don't want to talk after school. I have more important business to take care off." Ali smirks. "Now if you'll excuse me..."

"Where are you going?" Emily asks.

"Oh Em." Ali laughs. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you! Ta-ta."

The other four girls exchange glances at Ali's weird behavior.

Meanwhile, Ali searches around the school for Toby. He isn't in the cafeteria, so she checks the hallway.

Toby and Caleb are laughing together as they start walking to the cafeteria.

"Hey Caleb," Ali grins.

"Uh. Hi, Alison..." Caleb says, as he's not used to talking to Alison.

"Hanna's looking hot in the cafeteria. I think she wants to see you," Ali says.

"Hanna wants to see me?" Caleb grins. "I've got to go see her!"

"You run along, Caleb!" Ali exclaims.

"Alright, let's go." Toby says, beginning to follow Caleb.

"Not so fast," Ali stops him. "Cavanaugh, you stay with me."

"No way! Caleb's not gonna leave me alone," Toby says, crossing his arms. "Right, man?"

"Yeah!" Caleb agrees, nodding.

"Then I guess you won't get to kiss Hanna's lips. She got a new lip gloss, too." Ali winks.

"Sorry Tobester, I've got to go see Hanna!" Caleb exclaims. "Meet me at the cafeteria. I'll be with Hanna!"

Caleb runs off to find Hanna, leaving Toby and Ali alone.

"What do you want from me?" Toby asks, sighing. "I have to go!"

"You mean see _Spencer_?" Ali eyes him viciously.

"Well... Uh... Yeah. We're friends and all," Toby says nervously.

"Don't lie! She's your date to the winter formal, Cavanaugh!" Ali yells.

"So what?" Toby glares. "It's my life. I'll go with her if I want."

"Do you want me to start_ it _again?" Ali threatens.

"Come on, Alison! You don't have to be so obnoxious. Why can't you let me be happy with her?" Toby crosses his arms, super nervous.

"_Because_. I won't let you steal my best friend away from me!" Ali angrily says.

"What? That's the reason?" Toby rolls his eyes. "Are you jealous?"

"Jealous? You're disgusting!" Ali scoffs.

"If you think I'm still that guy I was before, you're _wrong_. You can't own me like that anymore. Jenna and I are done with your bull!" Toby yells.

"Oh Toby, you must feel so proud for finally standing up for yourself." Ali giggles.

"Shut up." Toby crosses his arms again. "This dumb thing has been over since the moment you started telling all your friends that crap!"

"It's your fault I did it!" Ali snaps back. "You shouldn't have started that fire, Toby. Jenna and you think it's all over."

"Jenna and I think it is... Because it _is_. No one will believe you," Toby says.

"Yes, they will. I own you. _And_ Jenna," she smirks. "I can start it all again. And this time, it won't just be a few friends. It'll be _everyone_."

"You wouldn't." he quietly says.

"It's cute that you don't understand what I'm capable of," she smirks again. "Break the date, or I'll do it again. That's a threat, not a joke."

She smirks at him one last time before walking off.

Toby nervously runs his hand through his hair.

He can't believe she's doing this to him.


End file.
